Resilient chair



June 27, 1933. F J TRAlNoR 1,915,480

RESILIENT CHAIR Filed Dec. 24, 1932 Inventor,

Felix J Trainor', 5 mm Attarneys.

Patented June 27, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcs FELIX TRAINOR, OF NEWCASTLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB "1'0 TRAINOR NATIONAL SPRING CORPORATION, OFNEW CASTLE, INDIANA RESILIENT CHAIR Application filed December 24, 1932.Serial No. 648,750.

This application relates to the art of furniture and particularly to achair or settee having an elastic frame formed from spring memberswhereby a seat member may be yieldingly depressed and also be carriedrearwardly and forwardly in the manner of a rocking chair, the springaction of the member supporting the seat yieldingly flexingIunder theweight of the occupant.

ot only is the above indicated action obtained by forming a structure inaccordance with my invention, but flat steel spring members may beemployed throughout the supporting frame work as opposed to heretoforeused, tubular members so that full spring action may be obtained withoutthe limiting rigidity of such tubular members. In addition, my inventionpermits the formation of an article of furniture at an exceedingly lowcost of production as well as pleasing to the eye.

Furthermore the invention provides a structure that does not pitch theoccupant forwardly upon forward travel and that prevents overturningupon rearward travel.

, These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art in the following description of one particular formof the invention as illustrated,

by the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front view inperspective of a structure embodying my invention, and

Fig. 2, a side elevation. Like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the two views in the drawing.

I form spring members generally desig; nated by the numerals 10 and 11,each member being of the same size and conformation,

and having a front vertically disposed leg 12 curving rearwardlysomewhat and downwardly from the top end, thence forwardly toward th'lower end, and rounding backwardly to form the curve 13. Continuing asan integral piece from this curve 13 the steel spring member extendsrearwardly and gradually upwardly and thence in a long gradual'curve 14around and forwardly to join with a seat carrying spring bar 15 which isunited to the upper and rear turned end of the member 12. While the seatcarrying member 15 is here shown as a separate piece uniting the twoends of the continuous spring member, it may-become an integral partwhereby the member 12 extending around through the various curves is ineffect a continuous spring. Slats 16 are here shown as extending acrossand tying togetherthe two members 10 and 11 to form the seat. The member15 is elastic permitting the member to bow downwardly in itself,depending upon the weight and the place of application thereof. A back17 is preferably provided and may assume any form, one form being hereshown as comprising vertical slats carried by the v'erti-- callydisposed posts 18 which in turn are reenforced by the arm rests 19.

A spring bar 20 normally remaining in horizontal plane is provided and asecond spring bar 21 is fixed thereto toward its rear end at .twopoints, here shown as by rivets 22 and 23. This bar 21 is formed to havethe portion between its connection with the under bar 20 to curveupwardly from the rivet 22 for a distance and thence around andsubstantially vertically downwardly and thence back along the bar 20, asindicated in Fig. 2. The bar 21 extends forwardly from the rivet 22normally in contact with the under bar 20 to have the spring member 10or 11 as the case may be, rest thereon along its forward portion for ashort distance and have the front end of the bar 21 fixed to the member10 or 11 in such a manner as to prevent twisting one member in respectto the other. The method of fixing the two members together is hereshown as comprising the rivets 24 and 25 spaced apart longitudinally ofthe members. The front end of the member 21 is preferably carried aroundthe various members posltlons as indicated in curvature are essential inorder to secure the peculiar and desirable action obtained by myinvention. The reversed curvature at thetop'and bottom ends of the leg12 also aid greatly in obtaining this action since there is greaterresistance set up to bending of the complete leg-12 than there is to thebending of the member through the curve 14. As the seat member 16 isrocked rearwardly, the under sides of themembers 10 and 11 rollbackwardly into a greater length of contact with the members 21thereunder until the members 10 and 11 roll into contact with theupturned ends of the-members 21 which serve as limiting stops to therearward movement. While such action is taking place, the forward endsof the members 21 arebeing carried upwardly by the under sides of themembers 10 and 11 thereby applying an increasing tendency to return themembers 10 and 11 to their normal forward positions. Of course if theseat 16 is forceably carried rearwardly to any great extent, then thereis a tendency for the entire structure to pivot about the rear ends ofmembers 20 which tends to set up a bending ac: tion not only in themembers 20 but also in the members 21 fixed thereto and particularly inthat part of the members 21 as is between the points by which it may befixed to the member 20 thereunder. By reason of the particularformation. of such portion of v the member 21, considerable resistanceis presented to such a bending action although some may occur. v

It is thus to be seen that the forward end of each of the members 20serves as a track or foundation onwhichthe member 21 thereabove normallyrests in intimate contact and thatas the seat m'ay be rocked, the springmember 21 is flexed resisting such rocking and tends to return thestructure to the normal position. What bending action may be set up inthe combined bars '20 and 21 be-' tween their attachin points tends tolift the front end of each of the bars 20 against the normal tendencyfor such bars to remain straight and therefore this normal tendency toreturn to straight line positions tends to pull the front portions of hebars 21 downwardly which in turn tends to pull. the front ends of themembers 10 and 11 downwardly.

While I have herein shown a novel seat supporting structure, it isobvious that structural changes may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention and I therefore do not desire to be limited tothat precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. In a seat supporting structure, a spring member normally horizontallydisposed, a seat supporting member of an elastic nature comprising aforward elastic leg having an upper rearwardly turned end and curvingaround, downwardly and rearwardly in a comparatively short curve, andthence curving forwardly by a longer curve from the lower end of whichthe leg curves around rearwardly relatively sharply and thence extendsrearwardly over said spring member to slope upwardly therefrom andfinally curving upwardly, around, and forwardly in a curve sharper thanthat of the leg to extend forwardly toward said leg upper end,

"comprising a forward elastic leg having an upper rearwardly turned endand curving around, downwardly and rearwardly in a comparatively shortcurve, and thence curving forwardly by a longer curve from the lower endof which the leg curves around rearwardly relatively sharply and thenceextends rearwardly over said spring member to slope upwardly therefromand finally curving upwardly, around, and forwardly in a curve sharperthan that of the leg to extend forwardly toward said leg upper end, anda seat carried over said ends, said sprin member being secured by itsfront end to sai seat supporting member immediately back of the lowerend of said leg, and a foundation member, said sprin member beingsecured by its rear portion to t e rear end of the foundation member andextending forwardly there over normally having its major portion incontact therewith.

3. In a flexible seat supporting structure, a seat, a pair ofsymmetrically formed springs each having a front elasti'c leg bowedrearwardly somewhat, a rear elastic le bowed rearwardly to a'greaterextent than t e front leg, the lower ends of the legs beininterconnected by a spring bar normally s 0 ing upwardly from the frontto the rear eg, and

a spring member under each bar having its ma or length normallyhorizontall disposed said spring member being fixed in each in stance byits forward end to near the forward end of said bar and disposedrearwardly thereunder.

4. In a flexible seat supporting structure, aseat,apair of mmetricayformed each having- 2. out elastic leg bow wardly somewhat, a rearelastic leg bowed rear? rearwardly to a greater extent than the frontleg, the lower ends of the legs being interconnected-by a spring barnormally sloping upwardly from the front to the rear leg, and a s ringmember under each bar having its ma or length normally horizontallydisposed, said spring member being fixed in each instance by its forwardend to near the forward end of said bar and disposed rearwardlythereunder, and a horizontal foundation bar disposed in parallelarrangement under each spring member and engaging the spring member nearits rear end.

5. In a flexible seat supporting structure, a seat, a pair ofsymmetrically formed springs each having a front elastic leg bowedrearwardly somewhat, a rear elastic leg bowed rearwardly to a greaterextent than the front leg, the lower ends of the legs beinginterconnected by a spring bar normally sloping upwardly from the frontto the rear leg, and a spring member under each bar having its ma] orlength normally horizontally disposed, said spring member being fixed ineach instance by its forward end to near the forward end of said bar anddisposed rearwardly thereunder, and a horizontal foundation bar disposedin parallel arrangement under each spring member and engaging the springmember near its rear end, said spring member having an upwardlyextending portion toward its rear end to limit the backward movement ofthe rear leg.

6. In a flexible seat supporting structure,

I a seat, a pair of symmetrically formed springs,

each having a front elastic leg bowed rearwardly somewhat, a rearelastic leg bowed rearwardly to a greater extent than the front leg, thelower ends of the legs being interconnected by a spring bar normallysloping upwardly from the front to the rear leg, and a spring memberunder each bar having its major length normally horizontally disposed,said spring member being fixed in each instance by its forward end tonear the forward end of said bar and disposed rearwardly thereunder, anda foundation bar disposed in parallel arrangement under each springmember and engaging the spring member near its rear end, said springmember having an upwardly extending portion toward its rear end, saidextending portion being removed from the foundation member and thespring member being secured to the foundation member to either side ofsaid portion.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FELIX J. TRAINOR.

